Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

, H. THUIRER GAR COUPLING.

No. 589,875 Patented Sept. 14,1897.

THU IR ER.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 589,875. Patented Sept. 14, 18 97.

UNITED STATES PATENT i ricn.

HENRY TI'IUIRER, OF SPENCER, IOXVA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,87 5 datedSeptember 14, 1897.

Application filed April 8, 1897- Serial No. 630,495. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY THUIRER, a citizen 0f the United States,residing at Spencer, in the county of Clay and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incar-couplers, the object being to provide a coupler of simple andimproved construction which is effective in operation and cheap tomanufacture.

To this end I have provided a coupler combining certain novelconstructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, and specifically set forth in theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a portion ofthe ends of two joined cars, showing the two parts of the couplersunited. Fig. 2 is atop or plan view showing the coupler membersdisengaged from the car, but connected with each other. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view thereof on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the pin or bar member of the coupler. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective View of the pivotjaw member.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the portion of theend of the cars to which my invention is applied.

My invention consists of two members-a pivoted hook link member 2 and abar or pin engaging member 3.

I will first proceed to describe the construction of the link hookmember.

The numeral at designates the draw-head of the car, formed at each sidewith spaces 5, separated by a central division-wall 6. The two arms '7of the link member have broad inturned rear ends 8, which occupy thesaid spaces and are pivoted to the draw-head by a pin or bolt 9, passingthrough said inturned rear ends of the link-arms and the said centraldividing-wall of the draw-head. The

said two arms thence extend forward and are provided at their outer endswith inwardlyprojecting hooking-lips 10, provided with in clined faces11, a narrow space being left between said hooking-lips. A cross-bar 12connects the two arms of the link member adjoining the said hooking-lipsthereof and serves as a brace to maintain the said bars in fixedposition relatively to each other. A cord, wire, or other suitablelifting device 13 has one end connected with the said pivoted linkmember and passes around a pulley 14 on the front of the car adjacentthe bottom thereof and thence to the top of the car, where its upper end15 is suitably secured. By pulling on this end the pivoted link member 1may be raised as desired, and when the said cord or lifting device isdropped the pivot link portion will drop to its proper position by itsown gravity. The pin-engaging member 3 is attached to a shank l0,suitably secured to the bottom of the car, and comprises a head 17,formed with a broad level space 18 at the front thereof, from whichextend upwardly-inclined side faces 19, which are divided by aguiding-ridge 20. About midway of the length of said guiding-ridge theinclined face portions 19 terminate, the body or head being cut away atthat point to form inclined engaging shoulders 21, at the lower ends ofwhich are basewebs 22. The guiding-ridge 20 and the shank 16 of thismember unite at this point and separate the said two engaged shoulders21 from each other.

In operation it will be seen that when the two parts of the coupler areto be engaged to connect adjoining cars the two arms 7 of the linkmember 1 ride upon the inclined side faces 19 of the pin or bar member 2until the locking-shoulders 21 are encountered, whereupon the saidlink-arms drop on opposite sides of the head or body of the bar memberand the locked lips engage with said shoulders and unite with the twocoupler parts, the rear portion of the guiding-ridge 20 accompanying thespace between the said lips of said link-arm. 'When the coupler partsare thus united, they cannot be accidentally disconnected under ordinarycircumstances, and yet may be readily disengaged when desired byapplying said lifting cord or wire 13.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a car-coupler, the combination of a drawhead formed with verticalspaces or recesses at each side thereof separated by a divisionwall, alink member having its arms formed with broad inturned rear extremitiesoccupying said recesses and pivoted to have vertical upward movementtherein by a pin or rod extending therethrongh and through saiddivision-Wall, and the arms thence extending forward and formed at theirouter end with inclined hook lips, a bar connecting said arms, and a pinor bar jawmember formed with a level front portion terminating inupwardly-inclined guide-faces, a guiding-ridge separating saidguiding-faces and having its outer or front end arranged in line withthe base at the rear of said level front portion,

locking-shoulders at the ends of said guidingfaces arrangedsubstantially midway of the length of the said guiding-ridge and formedHENRY THUIREB.

Witnesses:

F. M. McCoNNELL, FLORENCE E. lWIAoK.

